1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pad for use with a living body stimulus electrode. More particularly, it relates to a pad applicable to the living body stimulus electrodes integrated with a low frequency medical treatment apparatus of a coin like disk type.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a living body electrode is defined as a measuring element for measuring electrical phenomenon or as an electric stimulus.
That is to say, the living body electrode is divided into a living body measuring electrode for measuring electric phenomenon emitted from the living body and a living body stimulus electrode for applying electric stimulus to the living body.
For example, the living body measuring electrode is used when electric potentials between two points are emitted from the surface of the living body, and used as input to the electrocardiograph, which produces the electrocardiogram. On the other hand, the living body stimulus electrode is used when the pulse electric current is applied to the living body from the low frequency medical apparatus, in order to ease muscle stiffness or neuralgia.
However, it is undesirable to connect either of the above electrodes directly to the living body, for the following reasons.
(1). An electrode plate, from which the electrode is constructed, is metallic and consequently, the electrode plate cannot easily connect with the living body.
(2) The contact resistance between the skin surface of the living body and the electrode plate, is high and thus it is difficult to measure exactly the electric phenomenon or apply electric stimulus.
(3) The electrode is used by many patients, and dirt or germs attached to their skin adheres to the electrode. Consequently, the electrode would become injurious to their health. Therefore it is an issue of importance that they are not infected by each other.
Therefore, the living body measuring and stimulus electrodes are both constructed by the electrode plate 20 connected to a medical apparatus 10 of the electrocardiograph or low frequency medical treatment apparatus as well as by a pad 30 connected with the electrode plate 20, as shown in FIG. 1.
The pad 30 is composed of a layer made from conductive and adhesive gelhydrate, and when it is used, one face 42 thereof is adhered to the electrode plate 20, the other face 41 thereof adheres with the skin surface 50 of the living body.
That is to say, the living body electrode is constituted by the pad 30 made of a gelhydrate layer combining conductivity and adhesion. Moreover, the pad 30 is capable of being bonded to or taken off the plate 20.
Accordingly, the defects stated in items (1) to (3) are solved simultaneously.
The pad 30 of the present invention relates to, in particular, a pad for the living body stimulus electrode which is applicable to low frequency medical treatment apparatus of a coin like disk type.
FIG. 2a is an explanatory drawing of a first prior art device.
A low frequency medical treatment apparatus in accordance with FIG. 2a has a first electrode plate 5 and a second electrode plate 6, which are mounted to the top of pad cords 8 and 9 connected with a body 7 and are separate from each other.
A first pad 1 and a second pad 2 are respectively capable of being bonded to or taken off the plates 5 and 6.
When the low frequency medical treatment apparatus is adhesively used, the first and second pads 1 and 2 are respectively applied to the first and second electrode plates 5 and 6, through a first recess 5A and a second recess 6A. Next, the surface of the pads 1 and 2 are contacted closely with, for example, the skin surface of both shoulders of the patient.
However, as electronic parts become smaller, the low frequency medical treatment apparatus composed of them also becomes smaller.
The low frequency medical treatment apparatus of a small size, so-called "coin like disk type", has recently been proposed, as shown in FIG. 2b.
FIG. 2b illustrates a first electrode plate 5' and a second electrode plate 6', which are directly mounted on a body 7'; not through the pad cords 8 and 9 (see FIG. 2a).
In other words, the first and second electrode plates 5' and 6' are integrated with the body 7' and are adjacent to each other. Corresponding first and second pads 1' and 2' are respectively capable of being bonded to or taken off the plates 5' and 6'.
The problems of the second prior art are as follows.
(1) The pads 1' and 2' bonded to or taken off the electrode plates 5' and 6'.
The result is that the above bonding and removal operations must be executed twice, which is very troublesome for the user.
Moreover, since the size of the pads 1' and 2' are each nearly equal to that of corresponding recesses 5A' and 6A', it is very difficult to insert and remove the small pads 1' and 2' into and out of the recesses 5A' and 6A' respectively, by gripping them with the fingers of the user's hand.
It is more difficult for the user to carry out the above operations, because the fingers and the pads become attached firmly to each other as a result of the adhesion characteristics of the pads 1' and 2'.
Consequently, it takes a long time to adhere the pads 1' and 2' to the electrode plates 5' and 6' respectively.
(2) Since the small pads are gripped directly with the fingers, the dirt, for example dust, etc., on the fingers adheres to the whole gelhydrate, and thereby, the pads lose their conductive and adhesive properties.
In particular, when pads 1' and 2' lose their adhesive property, the defect of the second prior art is as follows.
After medical treatment, when the pads 1' and 2' are taken off from the skin surface of the living body together with the body 7' of the medical apparatus, the pads fall off the body 7' and remain stuck to the skin surface, from which the patient feels unpleasantness.
This results from the fact that as the pads lose their adhesion characteristic, they adhere to the skin surface of the living body more than the electrode plate made of metal.
In a word, the second prior art has the problems as follows.
That is to say, even if the pads are intended to be bonded to or taken off of the corresponding electrode plates of the low frequency medical treatment apparatus of a coin like disk type, since the pads are small and separate from each other, it takes a long time to execute the above bonding and removal operations.
Moreover, since the pads do not become attached firmly to the electrode plate, they fall off easily from the above apparatus of a coin like disk type.